1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of machines for vending newspapers, and, more particularly, to so-called "multivend" newspaper racks having a door on the front which opens to provide access to all of the newspapers inside.
2. Background Art
The typical newspaper vending machine or "rack" includes a mechanism for validating inserted coins, and, when they amount to the price of a newspaper, for unlatching a door on the front face of the rack. This permits access to all of the newspapers inside the rack. For this reason, these racks are commonly referred to as "multivend" racks.
As is the case with any vending machine, multivend racks require a device which will validate and total the amount of money inserted in the machine. In the past, the types of these devices used in multivend racks have been relatively limited in terms of their capabilities. For example, conventional multivend racks open not only when the coins inserted equal the price of a newspaper, but also when the coins inserted exceed that price. Generally, however, the excess amount is retained and not returned as change. This may discourage potential customers who do not have a combination of coins exactly totalling to the price and so would be forced to pay more.
Besides not being able to give change, conventional racks accept only coins and are not able to accept paper currency. This makes newspapers in the rack unavailable to potential customers who have enough money to buy a newspaper, but not in change.
Also, it may be desirable that racks be provided with the capability of accepting cash alternatives such as credit or debit cards. To accomplish this, it is necessary to provide the rack with a device capable of reading indicia in magnetic media or the like.
To address these concerns, rack money accepting devices which give change, or accept paper currency, or read magnetic media, or any combination of these three, have been proposed and designed. These devices have a greater number of features than those used before so that there is an increased need for access to them for repair, maintenance, and setting. In conventional multivend racks, however, access to the money accepting means is limited and generally must be accomplished by manipulating tools in a narrow space between the mechanism and the side of the cabinet.